FORT KENT, Maine — The Fort Kent Warriors boys basketball team has made local history two weeks in a row, and their two championships have united the community.
The team won the Class C North regional title on Feb. 21, and last weekend they took it one step further to win their first ever state championship.
The excitement in town was palpable even after the regional win. People from as far away as Portage and Eagle Lake lined the roadside as the team drove back up to Fort Kent on Feb. 22. And when they arrived, they were accompanied by a fleet of police, ambulance, and fire vehicles.
Last Sunday, the team was once again accompanied by a fleet of town vehicles as they drove back into town. People put up banners, honked car horns and attended a Sunday reception at the high school gym.
Longtime former Fort Kent high school and University of Maine at Fort Kent coach Larry Murphy delivered an emotional speech congratulating the team on their historic win.
Dean of Students Don Choinard said he watched the state game at the Fort Kent Century Theater, which also broadcast the regional final. He said the theater was completely packed, and that there was an intense level of energy in the building throughout the entire game.
“There was loud cheering, screaming, and yelling,” he said. “It was very, very exciting.”
Chouinard said the theater broadcasting the two games is one of several examples of how the team’s successes have brought the community together. He says it has opened up channels of communications and led to a stronger sense of unity.
“It has really brought a lot of community pride to our little town here,” he said. “Or little towns, I should say, since we also have kids from Eagle Lake, Winterville and New Canada on the team as well.”
Fort Kent Town Manager Suzie Paradis said the win has had a great impact on the community.
“In a small town like Fort Kent, moments like this mean everything,” Paradis said. “These young men carried the pride of our community with them and showed what determination, teamwork and heart can achieve. Bringing home the gold ball is something our entire town will celebrate for years to come.”
Student Council President Addison Chasse, a senior at the high school, said the energy throughout the school has been positive, and that there has been a great deal of hype for the team not just for the tourney season, but the entire season.
“It brought out a lot of participation from the student body,” she said. “People would show up and were excited to watch them all year long.”
Both teachers and students showed a lot of support for the team, she said.
Chasse watched the game at home with a group of friends, and there was plenty of excitement when the Warriors won.
“We were so excited,” she said. “We were screaming and jumping up and down. We were so proud. It was great to watch.”
However, the school didn’t just see success in basketball, but ski teams brought home victories as well, Chasse said. The boys Alpine and Nordic team won the state championship and the girls team are runners-up.
Chouinard said that, looking ahead, their attitude is to keep up the positive momentum.
“It’s history in the making,” he said, “but we’re looking to make history again next year by doing it again, in all our sports.”
MSAD 27 Superintendent Ben Sirois said the victory has resonated across the entire community.
“In the St. John Valley, our schools and towns are woven tightly together; when one of our teams reaches this level of success, it truly feels like a shared win for the entire region,” Sirois said.
Sirois, who is also superintendent of school systems in Madawaska and MSAD 33, said that throughout the region the Madawaska High School boys varsity basketball team also advanced to the regional finals, and that the Wisdom High School girls varsity basketball team reached the Class S state finals this year.
“These accomplishments represent more than just numbers on a scoreboard; they reflect the commitment, resilience, and teamwork that define the St. John Valley,” he said. “We are incredibly proud of our students for representing our region with such class.”
